©Child Focused
SAFE Interviewing
© Child Focused SAFE Interviewing provides school staff with the skills, tools and confidence to have sensitive and appropriate conversations with children regarding safeguarding or child protection concerns that haven't yet met the threshold for informing external authorities.
Strategic Keep the Child Protection Enquiry CHILD focused
Accessible Meeting the needs of THAT child
Factual Ask the RIGHT QUESTION's in the RIGHT way
Empowering Remember, this is YOUR work but THEIR LIFE
Evidence based system built from the UK's Achieving Best Evidence and the US’s Forensic Interviewing methods and provides a framework specifically designed for Schools and Social Workers, so you can have confidence every step of the way that you are not causing any harm, damaging any potential future criminal investigation and getting as much factual information as possible.
The Problems
that schools face
Schools are often the first place a child discloses abuse or trauma
School staff are not trained in interviewing children
Children rarely provide the full information initially
Information is needed in order to decide on actions
Risk contaminating information and potential evidence
International schools are less likely to have external support
The Risks
that unskilled interviewing can cause
The children additional emotional harm
Place children at additional risk of harm
Protect the abuser
Lead to false information being gathered
Lead to miscarriages of justice
Cause significant emotional, reputational and financial harm to others (staff member, parent, school, other children)
THE SOLUTION!
for schools and any organisation working with children directly
Have the Safeguarding team certified in © Child Focused SAFE Interviewing.
Follow the step by step framework and protocols provided.
Understand that the interview process starts long before you ever meet with the child.
Ensure that the Safeguarding team and Leaders in the school have a clear understanding of why the steps are so important to be followed and support the interview process.
Ensue that the child's needs at the centre of decision making.
SAFE Interviewing should never be used in the place of formal Police interviews but recognises that there are many times when the initial information does not meet the threshold for Law enforcement to become involved OR that by shutting a child down who wants to disclose could stop them from sharing information in the future.